Kodela remembered on birth anniversary

Naidu leads tributes; former Speaker’s son donates blood

Rich tributes were paid to former Speaker and senior TDP leader Kodela Siva Prasada Rao on his 74th birth anniversary.

TDP national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu led the tributes. On Twitter, he recalled how Dr. Siva Prasada Rao, a towering leader, had entered politics after quitting his profession as a doctor after heeding TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao’s call.

Dr. Siva Prasada Rao ended his life in September 2019 at his home in Hyderabad, an incident which sent shockwaves through the political fraternity.

Beginning his career as a surgeon in Narsaraopet, Dr. Siva Prasada Rao joined the TDP in 1983 and emerged as a senior leader within a short period of time. He served as Minister for Panchayat Raj, Home and Health in various State Governments headed by NTR, and later under Mr. Naidu, and was also the first Speaker of Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation.

Stating that Kodela was forced to end his life, unable to bear the harassment meted out to him by the YSRCP government, Mr. Naidu said that 19 cases were filed against the former Speaker and his family.

Meanwhile, Kodela’s son Sivaram said that he was ready to hand over the hospital and the home of his father to be used as a quarantine centre at Narsaraopet. Dr. Sivaram also donated blood at NTR Blood Bank in Guntur to mark his father’s birth anniversary.